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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259871">Ginger</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/pseuds/quantumoddity'>quantumoddity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gee wonder why Cad feels ill..., M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:08:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/pseuds/quantumoddity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cad has a surprise when he comes home</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caduceus Clay/Fjord</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>123</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ginger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Caduceus had a very good sense of smell. Mama would always joke that she could put her littlest son anywhere in the woods surrounding the grove and he’d be able to find his way home simply by sniffing. Colton had actually done that once, after Cad had smelled his way to his brother’s secret stash of mallow biscuits and ate the lot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was why Caduceus filled his cafe with fresh flowers from the graveyard, whatever was in bloom. Lilies and sweet peas in the summer, daphne and gladiolas in the autumn. It was why he’d inhale deeply and contentedly whenever he’d open up first thing in the morning and the deeply ingrained smells of sugar and cinnamon and rising bread would see him ready to start the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was why, more recently, he’d bury his face into his pillows before getting up in the morning, just for a moment. And he’d smell something deep, something woody and slightly salty. He’d smell Fjord. And he’d smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was also why Cad hadn’t even crossed into the lobby of their apartment building before he froze, horror settling into the pit of his stomach. Because he could smell the thick, black, acrid smell of burning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His long legs carried him up the stairs, trying not to panic but it was hard to focus on that when his heart was beating a racket in his ears. Thankfully the door was unlocked and as soon as he threw it open the smoke hit him like a wall, a stain in the air that had him shuddering as he plunged into it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fjord!” he yelled over the noise of the fire alarm going crazy, “Fjord? Please be okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m in here…” there was a distinctly guilty tone to his voice, “I’m okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The apartment was small enough that Cad was in the kitchen within a few strides, the clear source of the billowing blackness, “Fjord, what on earth…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could just about see him now, looking very abashed as he wrenched open the window to let the smoke escape. His hair was yanked back on a tiny knot and he was wearing a slightly greyed, smudged apron of Cad’s, along with the oven gloves which he was using to try and batter away the clouds of soot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” Cad asked, confused, “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fjord gave a fake smile, looking like a schoolboy anticipating a severe telling off and ready to do whatever he needed to do to put it off, “Um...everything’s fine. How was work?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cad raised an eyebrow, “Fjord…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” he exhaled, shoulders slackening, “I was just trying to do some baking and I lost track of time and...I might have fallen asleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cad processed that, ears twitching in the heavy air, “You were baking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d never seen Fjord attempt any kind of cooking, really. Cad himself had always taken on that task, seeing as it was pretty much his job already. His boyfriend would do the dishes instead. That was their arrangement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obviously Fjord didn’t go red when he blushed, his cheeks just went a darker shade of green and right now it was as deep as a forest floor. He meekly sidled over to the oven, now thankfully only dribbling smoke rather than vomiting it in plumes, and reached in, shielding his eyes. What he drew out looked like blackened circles of char semi-neatly arranged on a baking tray that now would probably never get clean. Cad sniffed curiously. Underneath the layers and layers of charcoal smell, he could just about catch it. The slightest tang of ginger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you hadn’t been feeling very well lately and...and I remembered how you’d say ginger cookies settled your stomach and you like them anyway so I thought I’d surprise you and...well, I fucked it up. And I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caduceus looked up at him, taking a long moment to choose his words, wanting them to come out just perfect, “Fjord. I can’t remember the last time someone did something so sweet for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fjord’s golden eyes widened in surprise, “What...so sweet they ruined your kitchen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cad had to chuckle a little, his expression was frankly adorable. He let some of his magic bead at his fingertips and swept his hand through the air. A breeze followed where his fingers had been, smelling as fresh as a damp morning at the grove, chasing away the smoke. Soon it was completely gone, chased out of the window. The fire alarm finally stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now his eyes weren’t streaming and his nose and ears weren’t cringing, Cad reached for Fjord and held him tight against his chest, not caring that all the smudges of blackened flour and burnt sugar were now getting on his dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t ruin anything. You were just thoughtful and kind and selfless and I don't care whether it worked or not, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And I love you for it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Fjord hugged him back tightly, voice a little strained. He never really seemed to know what to do when Cad said things like that, “Well...I love you too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought six packets home from the bakery anyway,” Cad grinned, pressing his face to Fjord’s hair, “Want to have them for supper with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel his boyfriend’s laughter in the rumbling in his chest and the shaking of his shoulders, “Sure. That sounds very fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cad closed his eyes, burying his nose in Fjord’s dark hair. Smoke, yes. Burnt ginger, yes. But also the wood and salt and musk he loved so much. Home. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please consider leaving a comment!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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